1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to generally to athletic performance, and particularly to methods, systems and computer program products to track athletic performance, characterize athletic performance, predict specific performance, and plan athletic performance.
2. Description of Background
Systems exist for characterizing athletic performance that include techniques such as monitoring a subject's heart rate. Prior inventions have attempted to quantify the power required for human locomotion; however, they have focused on the theoretical power required to lift and propel the body. These inventions assume that all of the power used to lift the body into the “air” phase of a stride is lost upon landing. These prior systems do not accurately characterize the performance of a subject. Thus, there is a need in the art for a method to determine the net rate of energy expenditure (power) required for locomotion.